Resources for Student Choice

Why is student choice important?

We have all heard about the studies that relate motivation and student engagement with increased learning outcomes. In his book entitled Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn, Mike Anderson explains how providing students choice can help improve student motivation and engagement by addressing two major challenges: differentiation and student apathy. When students are given an opportunity to choose various elements of their work, they tend to choose things that are appropriately challenging for their skill level keeping them engaged in the learning process without becoming overly frustrated. Student also gravitate towards options that align with their interests and passions allowing the "work" to be more enjoyable.